Arabic at Hope College

Why Study Arabic?

There are 22 Arabic speaking countries in the Arab world and over two billion Muslims who use Arabic in their daily rituals. Arabic is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations . Nowadays, and more than any time, a bridge is needed between the Western cultures and the Eastern Arab-Islamic cultures.

"My favorite course this year was Arabic class. I tremendously enjoyed learning Arabic and the culture of the Middle East this was my best semester."
-Charles J. Knooihuizen

Career Opportunities in the Arabic Language

Interpretation: This of course is one of the biggest opportunities for an Arabic speaker. Interpreters are in great demand - especially for corporations that do business in Arabic-speaking countries.

Travel and Hospitality: All sorts of opportunities exist for Arabic speakers in the domestic travel industry. You can easily find work in hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, airports, and many other businesses that are seeing an increase in Arabic customers.

Finance: The financial industry has a great need for people who speak Arabic, as some of the countries that speak Arabic as their native tongue are among the richest countries in the world. This ensures that the need for people who can speak Arabic effectively will continue to grow.

Government: Many governments today utilize Arabic speakers and translators when conducting negotiations and policy discussions with other countries. Once again, you must be able to speak the language fluently without any mistakes in your translations.

For More Information

We would be glad to answer any questions you may have regarding the Arabic courses offered at Hope College. Simply stop by Martha Miller Center, 2nd floor, Room 205!